Improved pharmacotherapy of major depression in psychiatric outpatient care

Abstract

We studied the ability of mental health care to treat major depression in accordance with given standards. The treatment procedures for 232 patients with first-episode major depression (DSM-III-R) in 3 study years (1989, 1992, 1995) were circumstantially and retrospectively evaluated from documents in community psychiatric outpatient care in Finland. In total, two-fifths of the patients received probably inadequate pharmacotreatment. However, there was a clear improvement in pharmacotreatment of major depression during the study years. The adequacy of given antidepressant medication was associated with high basic education of the patients, accuracy of diagnosis, and new antidepressants.